John Black (Canadian judge) facts for kids

John Black (born March 11, 1817 – died February 3, 1879) was an important person from Scotland. He was involved in politics in both what would become Canada and the new country of Australia.

John Black lived in Canada from 1839 to 1854. After that, he went back to Scotland. From 1857 to 1861, he lived in New South Wales, which is on Australia's east coast. He then returned to England. In 1862, he was given a job in Assiniboia, a part of North America. He stayed there until 1870. Finally, he went back to Scotland, where he passed away in 1879 at the age of 61.

John Black's Career

John Black was born in Fife County, Scotland, in 1817. He learned about law by working for seven years in a lawyer's office in Edinburgh. Even though he never became a full lawyer, he gained a lot of legal knowledge.

Working in Canada

In 1839, Black traveled to the Red River Colony. This area is now part of Manitoba, a Canadian province. He was hired as a clerk for the main court in Assiniboia. Soon, he started working for the Hudson’s Bay Company, a very powerful trading company. By 1848, the company made him a chief trader.

In 1850, Black became the chief accountant for the Upper Red River district. He lived at Fort Garry, which is now the city of Winnipeg. However, the governor of the area was not happy with him and looked for someone else. In 1852, Black lost his job as chief accountant.

Black left the Hudson's Bay Company in 1854 and returned to Scotland.

Working in Australia

In 1857, John Black moved to Australia. He quickly became involved in the new Parliament of New South Wales.

From 1859 to 1860, Black was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He represented the area called East Sydney. He was also the leader of a group called the Land League, which had just been formed. From October 1859 to March 1860, he served as the Secretary of Lands in William Forster's government. Black left the Assembly in 1860 and went back to England in 1861.

Return to Canada and the Red River Rebellion

In 1861, Black was appointed as the president of the main court in Assiniboia. The title of the job was changed so he could take it, since he wasn't a full lawyer. In June 1862, he officially started his new role. He led the court in Assiniboia for eight years. He wanted to resign in 1868, but the Hudson's Bay Company asked him to stay. He finally left in March 1870.

Black's time in Assiniboia included the Red River Rebellion of 1869-1870. This was a time of conflict when people in the Red River Colony wanted more say in their government. Black was in charge of the council meeting in October 1869 when Louis Riel was asked to explain why he stopped the new lieutenant governor, William McDougall, from entering the colony.

Black was also one of three people chosen by Louis Riel to go to Ottawa, Ontario. Their job was to talk with the Canadian Government on behalf of Riel's temporary government. During these talks, Black was more willing to compromise with the government than the other negotiators.

After the discussions were finished, Black thought about going straight back to London. He was offered important jobs in Manitoba, like lieutenant governor, but he said no. In the summer of 1870, he moved back to Scotland for good.

He died in St. Andrews, Scotland, on February 3, 1879.

John Black's Family Life

In 1845, John Black married Margaret Christie. She was the daughter of the governor of Assiniboia. Margaret traveled with him to Scotland in 1852-1853. Sadly, she passed away soon after they returned to Canada. Her death was the main reason John Black left the Hudson's Bay Company and went back to Scotland in 1854.